Whom are you going to call? Examining help-seeking sources among university students with a suicide history

Abstract

Suicide is a concern among college students and on college campuses across the United States. Prior research has shown a number of variables that impact access to help-seeking for students experiencing thoughts of suicide. The present study sought to examine positive and negative relationships among five psychological variables (self-stigma, perceived public stigma, levels of distress, social support, and self-concealment), and their role in students' likelihood to use five types of help-seeking sources (professional help, family support, social relationships, organization sources of support, and virtual sources of support). Additionally, the study examined which sources of support students utilize when experiencing thoughts of suicide. The sample of this study included undergraduate students who endorsed personal experiences of suicide (n = 207). Participants in this study were largely female (n = 155), heterosexual (n = 125), and White (n = 145). Most participants attended public institutions (n = 106), and are attending their classes on the main campus (n = 138). Most had resided in suburban regions prior to going to college (n = 120). Participants' ages ranged from 18 to 42.Results indicated that stigma acts as a barrier to students seeking support for thoughts of suicide. Higher levels of social support and less psychological distress was found to be related to help-seeking intentions. These findings have implications for suicide prevention and intervention on college campuses.